MONEY TOO LATE.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17803, 30 August 1929, Page 8

MONEY TOO LATE.

DOUBLE CAME IN. |. A STUPID DOCUMENT. VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY. A charge of being narty to the issue of a false document was brought against a young labourer named Walter Leslie Cusack in the Hamilton Supreme Court yesterday before His Honour Mr Justice Ostler and a jury. Tiie Crown was represented by Mr 11. T. Gillies nad the prisoner by Mr W. J. King. In outlining the case Mr Gillies said the case was not the usual serious one of forgery. The clm-gc was of a milder form. Prisoner and a man named Gorin lived in the hack country beyond Taumarunui. They were students of “form” at Ellerslie, and two days before the Easter meeting there they decided to hack a double. They placed 30s in an envelope and registered it to a well-known bookmaker in Auckland. After they had posted it they realised 'to their horror that the ordinary mail would not land the letter in Auckland till after the races had been run. They were very anxious to get the money on, so they hit upon the idea of drawing up a letter to the bookmaker slating that a registered letter had been posted to him at Tokarima on a stated date. This letter was signed “P.M., Tokirima.” This they gave to a service car driver to post in Taumarunui and, being done, it reached the bookmaker before the races were run.

The unfortunate part of it was, said Mr Gillies, that the double won and the two men stood to win £3OO for their 30s. While it was admitted prisoner did not write the letter, it was alleged he was party lo it. Postmaster’s Evidence. Frederick William Blank, postmaster at Tokirima, said the letter signed “PAL, Tokirima,” was neither written nor authorised by him. He remembered Cusack registering a letter on March 28, but It just missed the particular mail which would reach Auckland in time for the race meeting there. In answer to Mr King, witness said it would only he necessary to produce the counterfoil from the post-office to prove that the letter had been posted the 28th. It was a rather stupid thing to state in the forged letter that the writer, purporting to be the postmaster, had only one penny stamp and therefore could not send on the registered letter.

Mr Gillies: If you were a bookmaker would you aeept tile post-office counterfoil as proof of money sent? His Honour (to witness): If 1 were you I would answer that by saying that you arc not a bookmaker and therefore cannot say what you would have done in the circumstances. (Laughter.) Harry Clifton Sallery, who admitted that he traded under the name of J. Frost, described himself as an agent. He said he rceived the letter signed

"P.M., Tokirima?’ on Easter Saturday morning. On the following Tuesday morning he received the letter containing the 30s. Mr Gillies: That would, I suppose, be for the purchase of onions or potatoes?— (Laughter.) Witness (smiling) : Oh, yes. Mr King proceeded to cross-exam-ine witness on the nature of betting. Witness asked if lie was required lo answer.

His Honour: It is not illegal to bet and therefore you must answer Hie question. You are not running the risk of prosecution. Witness said that what constituted abet by post was an acknowledgement in black and while, cither by letter or telegram. Ruth Blank, wife of Hie postmaster, said she remembered Cusack registering a letter on the 28tli after the mail had gone. Interview With Accused. Detective Nalder gave details of an interview which he had with Cusack, who denied that lie wrote the forged letter, although he admitted having sent the registered letter, the money contained in which was his. Gorin did not pay a share of the money, although lie asked for a share in the double. He had discussed the matter with Gorin, and if Gorin had written the letter signed “P.M.” he probably had done it in the interests of his (Cusack’s) double, though quite without his (Cusack’s) knowledge or consent.

In answer’to Mr King, witness agreed that Cusack had denied all along that he had written the letter.

Clifford Ernest Gorin, labourer, said that lie and Cusack posted money for a double. Cusack registered the letter. They then realised that owing to the intervention of Good Friday the letter might arrive late in Auckland. When they got hack to camp they discussed means of letting Frost know that the money had been posted. Cusack suggested that a second letter should he written to Frost in the name of the postmaster, staling lhat owing to a shortage of stamps he could not send .the registered letter on, hut pointing out that it had been posted on the 28th.

After a short retirement the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.